[Mich-listers] additional notes re. possible puffin

[Bruce M. Bowman]

Here are more notes about the possible puffin.

1. puffin not found on Thursday -- I know of three birders who looked 
today (Thursday) for the possible Atlantic Puffin at Bishop Lake and 
elsewhere in and around Brighton State Recreation Area in Livingston Co., 
Michigan.  I think there were as many as five looking at different times 
in the afternoon.  Karl Overman was first on the scene.  He searched 
Bishop Lake and other lakes in the area.  Karl reports that he found 
nothing.  This is better than finding some bird that Theresa (and her six 
sisters) might have confused with Atlantic Puffin. 

2. Wednesday's viewing location -- Theresa and others watched the bird 
all afternoon on Wednesday from their cabin, Cabin #4.  Chris Kargel had 
that figured out before I learned it from Theresa.  Chris says this: 

> I also sent an email to the
> park staff regarding the report.  The best viewing for this area would
> be from either the lower loop of the Bishop lake campground or the 
trail
> behind Family Cabin #4 (Wabizi). I believe this is where Theresa 
probably
> saw the bird. You would also be able to scope parts of the attached
> Caroga Lake, from Family Cabin #2 (Windigo) The gate to the lower loop
> of the campground will be locked this time of year, but you can park in
> the visitor lot and walk down. This is the campground that hosted the
> Townsend's Solitaire in 2006.

3. previous record -- None for Michigan, but Mike Sefton informed me that 
there is one record for Atlantic Puffin for Ohio.  It was found in a 
driveway (dead? alive?) in Toledo in November 1980.

4. photos -- Photos have not been mentioned, so I've assumed so far that 
none were taken.  I've emailed Theresa a question about photos, though, 
asking her to send me whatever photos may have been taken, even if only 
with a cell phone camera from a distance she thinks was too great.

5. diving -- I asked Theresa about the manner in which the "puffin" was 
diving, giving her three choices. She chose this one:  

"The bird did its diving from a position of sitting on the water.  It
pretty much just arched and dove without getting up out of the water.  It
did not plummet into the water from flight at high speed."

Atlantic Puffins dive from the surface or the air.  See 
http://www.mainebirding.net/puffin/   It is surely the depth of the fish 
that determines what manner of dive is used.

Theresa noted, "It stayed in the same general area as I stated to you on 
the phone. I thought it funny that it didn't move around a lot like a 
bufflehead."  And: "We never saw it fly, it just was diving all day long. 
It was quite busy. I have never seen a bird stay in one place all day 
long like that."  

6. size -- Theresa said that the bird was "small."  That must mean that 
it was small compared to the other birds it was with.  I don't know what 
the other birds were, but they were probably diving ducks.  Here are the 
lengths of some diving ducks: Canvasback, 21"; Redhead, 19"; Ring-necked 
Duck, 17"; scaup, 16.5"-18"; scoters, 19"-21"; Common Goldeneye, 18.5"; 
Hooded Meganser, 18"; Common Merganser, 25"; Ruddy Duck, 15"  

Atlantic Puffin is 12.5" long, which is small compared with the others, 
as was noted for the candidate puffin.

---

If you look for the bird on Friday or over the weekend, please report 
your results.

Bruce
------------------------------------
Bruce M. Bowman                     
Ann Arbor, Michigan USA             
Washtenaw Co., southeast Michigan   
bbowman99 at comcast.net               
http://www.umich.edu/~bbowman/birds